Six Words
by EmeraldTulip
Summary: … tell an impossible story. A collection of one-shots based on six words each. (Chapter 7: What is the world without hamburgers?)
1. The World Isn't

… my safe haven.

 **Title:** _Six Words_

 **Rating:** T

 **Genre:** Friendship, adventure, family, etc.

 **Characters:** Everyone

 **Pairing(s):** (Almost) any one suggested

 **Summary:** … tell an impossible story. A collection of one-shots based on six words each.

 **Warnings:** Well, none in general. If there ever are for a particular story, I'll tell you.

 **Notes:** So, my new English teacher (who is _awesome_ , by the way) introduced my class to six word stories. Needless to say, I was inspired. (Ha, there's one right there!)

Basically, you (yes, I'm talking to _you_ , the readers!) can submit six words in a comment, along with a theme and/or characters, and I'll write a one-shot based on it. (I might do a few Elite Force ones, or other crossovers, despite this being in the Lab Rats archive, _if_ the prompt is really good.) I'll occasionally throw one of my own in there, or one my IRL friend (who doesn't have an account and shall henceforth be known to ya'll simply as Peyton) wrote. (They're helping me out from now on. For pretty much everything.) My sister, SapphireRose0417, also might help out.

They vary in length—probably 500-2,00 words each. It depends. And I'm challenging myself to write them in an hour and a half or less. We'll see how that goes.

If you have any questions - about the six-word stories, how to submit, where did Peyton come from, since when did Sapph have an account, etc., just PM me and I'll answer all questions!

Without further ado, I'll begin my first prompt, by Peyton!

 **Prompt:** "The world isn't my safe haven." The Dooley-Davenports; moments of realization

* * *

When you're out in the field every single day, rescuing people from impossibly horrible situations, it's inevitable that you stumble upon the truth.

—

Chase realized it first, despite being the youngest. Even before they started going on missions, he knew.

Calculations showed him that, if his and his siblings' bionics were revealed to the world, the amount of damage at crime scenes would go _up_ by at least twenty percent due to both challengers of theirs _and_ the intensity of the disaster they were facing matched with their powers. Then again, their abilities would counteract most of the damage, but still. Chase knew that just the fact that strangers would await to defeat them simply because of their abilities showed something about the world.

At seven, the simplest conclusion he could come up with was simply: the world sucked. If he allowed it to, the world would snap him up and spit him back out again, telling him all the while that he was worthless, useless, helpless.

He tried to become smarter, worked faster, became stronger.

—

Bree realized in the midst of their first mission.

Because who ever thought a high speed train carrying nuclonium was a good idea? (Oh, right, that would be her father.)

They were going to die. They were going to get blown to bits just because the train conductor messed up and then jumped ship. He abandoned them, leaving a city to get wiped out and children sacrifice their lives, just so he could be okay.

And that made her realize.

The people didn't care. They would sacrifice anyone if it meant saving their own lives. That train conductor didn't care that he doomed a city full of people, with children and jobs and spouses and friends and _lives_ , to die. He didn't care that he jumped off the train. He only cared to make sure that he could live.

And what was the purpose of that? How could _anyone_ live with themselves if they let others die?

She couldn't trust anyone but her family. Anyone in the whole rest of the world would let her suffer and wither away if it meant that they would live, even if she could save a thousand more lives after.

She wouldn't let anyone die. She couldn't even fathom it.

So she trained. She had to be faster.

—

Leo was the next one to realize it.

He'd grown up normal. His mother loved him unconditionally. But he hadn't known that she had shielded him—maybe too much.

The missions, the "adventures"… it was all just a game to him.

So when S-1 almost succeeded in killing him, it was a shock to realize that the world was _not_ the safe haven his mother had always made it out to be. It was a cold cruel world, and though there were always those who would help, like his siblings, his stepfather, even those firefighters who rescued him from under that beam, there were those who would seek to only destroy.

Like Marcus, or Krane.

And how could he protect his world? He was normal. His siblings could make a difference with their abilities… how could he?

(Of course, Douglas helped him get the power to make that difference. If the world wasn't his safe haven just yet, then he would _make_ it.)

—

Adam. Sweet, gullible, innocent Adam.

His family had protected his mind from the truth for a while. There were bouts, of course—when he thought Leo was dead, or Chase, or when Bree was left powerless—but it never lasted. But when Chase—his baby brother—volunteered to go on what was almost certainly a suicide mission to stop a missile, Adam knew.

People like Dr. Gao would always exist, and they would always work to destroy everything he loved. The world was not as rosy as his family had painted it. He couldn't let anything happen to Chase, to his family.

He volunteered his life, knowing that there was no certainty in his return. Knowing that life wasn't as he'd always thought it was. Because the world… it mattered.

And he realized: he was willing to die for this cold, cruel, unforgiving world. Because he couldn't imagine it gone. And he was proud of himself for that. He was willing to die for a world that wasn't his safe haven.

* * *

 **Hmm… not bad, for a warm-up. So, I'd greatly appreciate it if you were to leave a review with what you thought of the chapter, your thoughts on the challenge, and a six word story and prompt fill!**

 **(By the way, I am still working on** ** _Simulation_** **, this is more of just a side project that will be updated in between** ** _Simulation_** **postings.)**

 **See ya'll next chapter!**


	2. Lie To Me

… "I Love You."

 **Chapter 2, everyone! I'm glad I generated some interest with the start-up chapter, and I got a few prompts! I think I answered all of your comments, so I guess I'll go ahead. This one is submitted by musicnotes093: "Lie to me." "I love you." It had the additional tag of Bree/Sebastian. It's set sometime after On The Edge. I included a few headcanons of mine,vwhich I think a lot of people share, so… yeah. Without further ado!**

* * *

"I'm sorry."

"Stop lying to me." She shook her head, wringing her hands. Why did those have to be the first words between them, after so long? "You're not sorry. Was this… was everything—us—a lie?"

"No."

"You're lying," she murmured, shrinking away until her back hit the wall behind her. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Sure," he replied, lazily tilting his head to the side and letting his gaze just barely rest on her. "I'm lying, and you're smart enough to know it, Bree. I know what you've been taught."

"Sebastian, I _defended_ you," she said, almost to herself.

" _Don't_ call me that," Sebastian replied sharply. "It's a human name, a _weak_ name. I'm S-3."

Bree ignored him. "I told my brother how amazing you are, I told you I could help rise up, and _this_ is what you chose instead?"

The bionic boy glanced around idly at the vaguely glowing glass surrounding him. "I suppose I did."

"Can you at least even _talk_ to me?" Bree finally exploded, pushing herself off the wall and stalking forward. "I came all this way to see _you_ , and you won't even actually answer my questions!"

In answer, Sebastian shrugged, pointed to the cell to his left, and brought the finger to his lips. "Shh. You'll wake Lexi."

"Oh, so she gets a human name? And anyway, what do you care?" Bree demanded, nearly touching the bionic-proof glass with the tip of her nose by now. "You dragged her into this. She had nothing to do with it, and now she's stuck here—because of you."

"Ah, she's quite angry," Sebastian laughed ironically, taking a few steps forward as well. "She's made that quite clear. And she has every right to be, I acknowledge. Plus, she says she likes 'Lexi', and won't respond to her soldier ID anymore. I don't like it, but she's my sister, and she's all I have left—besides Tank, of course. But he's not one for conversation. So I won't stop protecting Lexi." He held up a hand, cutting off her retort. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't protect her when I was getting her into this mess, blah, blah. I know. But Lexi's not why you're here." He was at the glass now, too, and he was staring down at her. Nose-to-nose. Like at the Academy… but this wasn't the Academy anymore.

"No." She took a step back. "She's not. You are. But you already knew that."

"Of course," Sebastian chuckled slightly. "You made that clear with your first sentence. 'Stop lying to me', I believe you said? Okay, fine. And, see, maybe I didn't answer your questions before, but I think I will now. You're not _completely_ a traitor to me like Spin or Bob or _Chase_." He sneered when he said her brother's name. "You haven't changed at all, Bree, and so I'm going to trust you here."

Of all the thoughts racing through her mind, the only one she could blurt out was, "How did Chase betray you?"

Sebastian laughed without humor. "You know that already, Bree, you were there. He killed my father, and you and Adam helped him." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Then again, he's the one who fired the blast, you and Adam just supplied him the power. So I suppose I really am mostly mad at him."

"What were we supposed to do?" Bree demanded. "Let Krane destroy the minds of every human on the planet?"

"I'm sure my father had a good reason."

"Your _father_?" Bree repeated derisively, laughing almost maniacally. "Sebastian, we looked in to how he got you all. You don't even know, do you?"

"He created us, genetically engineered us."

" _Wrong_ ," she said, jabbing a finger at him. "The timelines don't match up. Krane only received the genetical engineering equipment in time to make all the soldiers under fourteen. You're sixteen, Sebastian. Don't you get it yet? He _stole_ you."

Sebastian's face didn't change, other than tensing up slightly. But Bree knew the look in his eyes. She'd been trained to recognize it, she knew what he was thinking. She could see the horror and terror in his face. The disbelief and denial.

He stumbled back and slid down the wall, sitting on the floor. "No," he said. "That… that's not true. You're lying, you _must_ be lying."

"Well, you'd know all about lying, wouldn't you?" Her tone, fiery and angry seconds before, turned icy and harsh.

"I suppose I would," Sebastian replied weakly. "And, from what _I_ know, you're being truthful."

"Were _you_?" Bree's voice was stiff. "All those times you said… _anything_ to me, I just thought… maybe you would understand me more than anyone else ever has." She laughed sarcastically. "Oh, but of course not. You never _didn't_ lie to me. At the very least, you believe you were never honest with me."

"There were times when I… hesitated because of you," he admitted, looking up at her. "But the end goal was always the same. I knew I would hurt you, and I… did it anyway."

"That's all I really wanted to know," she said. "And I should go, I was supposed to help Leo train some of the younger students."

"So go."

She turned and began to walk, to the doorway that led to the maze-like hallway that no one without bionics could possibly escape. To freedom and honesty and something other than the loneliness that always seemed to find her. "Sebastian…" he didn't respond, so she took that as an invitation to continue. "Just… one last time."

"What?"

She took a breath. "Lie to me."

There was silence for a moment. Then he broke it. "I love you."

* * *

 **There are a lot of "Bree visits Seb in jail and they sort of re-bond but not really" fics, and I decided I didn't want them to be even slightly happy. Whoops. I'll attempt to write a happier/funnier one of these soon.**

 ** _Anyway_ , reviews and submissions are always appreciated! Thanks for reading, everyone!**


	3. This House

… is not a home.

 **So, I have a new process concerning the reviews for this story: I'll reply to you via PM, unless you're a guest or have your PMs disabled. There's something going on with the reviewing system right now or something, but I got them all and I'll reply to them once it's working better.**

 **PurpleNicole531: Yeah, some will be short. But, like six word stories themselves prove, stories don't have to be long to be impactful. I'm glad you liked both chapters!**

 **Thanks everyone who submitted prompts, I'm still open for more! This story is new, and I don't plan on ending it soon.**

 **This story is "This house is not a home", the prompt submitted by ereader12. It has some darker themes, if you read that deep into it, so I suppose I should warn you about that. It's nothing major, just kind of how I feel around this time. Friends leave, stuff like that. You'll see.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy, everyone!**

* * *

This house is not a home.

It _used_ to be a home, filled with laughter and wonder and _love_ , and Leo knows this, but he almost can't remember what it's like. It's glaringly obvious when he and Adam visit that there are gaps—whenever his mother accidentally sets two extra (sometimes more) plates at the table during dinner, whenever Leo steps into the middle capsule in the lab because he forgets his arm capsule at the Academy, whenever he turns to tell a joke and stops because he remembers that his sister isn't there to laugh and his brother isn't there to poke holes in his fun.

He doesn't know how his mother can stand to live there still, with all four (five, technically, since Daniel lives with them now) children gone while she is still preparing for another. He doesn't know how his mother can stand to live there with her husband and brother-in-law always leaving. He doesn't know how she can possibly bear to stay, with no laughter, video games, music, conversation. Even without the arguments and noises of them clashing, because even though it was such a loud, ugly sound in their home, it was _them_.

Leo, himself, can only bring himself to stay for a few days at most whenever visiting. The Academy, he can handle. With the chatter and explosions and jokes and loud, raucous laughter, it's okay. It's distracting, it's busy. With the buzz that comes when you have so many children around you, so much—almost an abundance of—energy, it's manageable, even without Bree and Chase.

His parents are always in contact, as is his uncle, but he never really sees them anymore. They're always with the so-called "Elite Force", or at the house, or working on a project. They leave him and Adam in charge ("You're in charge, Leo, we're just telling Adam he is because he's the oldest and he's… Adam."), which is nice, but it's lonely work. So he's not sure how he feels about that.

Daniel tries to help, makes sure to completely book up his day with training. Talks to him at lunch about movies and books and TV shows they both like. And Leo appreciates his cousin for knowing that he needs to be distracted. But, at the end of the day, it's not enough.

Taylor and Logan go a step further, making sure that Davenport doesn't move either of them to any of the other facilities when the different operations begin. So even when Jenny and Rocket and Charlie and even _Spin_ get sent off, Taylor and Logan are right there with him. He helps Taylor grow used to her life as a hero without eyes, she helps him in his darker moments, and Logan, with his light, keeps them both from falling into the gloom—those black abysses—that resides in both their minds, that try to grow and get stronger by the day. And it helps, they both help, but it's not enough.

And Adam, well, Adam… he fills the silences when he can. He lightens the mood when Logan cannot, and comforts him when Taylor is out of reach. His brother does it all. His brother is a source of comfort, he's the only one who stayed. He _understands_.

It's _not enough._

It's _never_ enough for him.

Because, despite the fact that he always _knows_ they're gone, there are times it doesn't register, and he wakes up thinking that they'll be downstairs, waiting for him so they can get to school. He _knows_ they're not in Mission Creek, they're in some other city that his father won't tell him lest he sneak off to see them. But sometimes, it's so hard to remember that.

And it's not even just that.

Because, despite their assurances, he knows there is a chance that _they_ could die. That he could wake up one day with a hollow, horrified, unexplainable feeling in his chest and he will go downstairs and his parents will tell him that his brother and sister are dead. That their latest mission was unsuccessful, and no amount of bionics or superpowers will save them.

And sometimes, it's worse.

Because, despite all their efforts, there are times he just _forgets_. He forgets what Chase's haircut looked like, he forgets how Bree's laugh sounded. He forgets Bree's favorite breakfast, he forgets Chase's most prized book. It's irrational—or maybe not, considering how unreliable his mind has been recently—but there are times when he fears that he'll wake up and not remember them at all, and he can't _bear_ the thought of losing them.

And that, _that_ is the worst thing he can possibly think of, can possibly imagine. Worse than the thought of them dying, because he has faith in them, and knows they won't die. They're too strong. But he doesn't have faith in his own mind, not anymore. Not since the first day the darkness almost consumed him. And Taylor helped him through it then, but he thinks that that was the moment he realized: He can't lose _any_ of them.

He feels the shadows creep up on him time and time again, and more often than not, Taylor isn't there to calm him down, and Adam isn't there to strengthen him. Daniel isn't there to distract him, Logan isn't there to keep him in the light. He never sees his parents or uncle anymore. And there are times that the darkness threatens to consume him, because what is the purpose of him carrying on in this life, this _bionic life_ , one that was never his to begin with, without them?

And he'll walk around the house in hopes that he'll remember, and in hopes that the gloom will be pushed back from his mind, and it works, mostly. But he usually just feels empty and alone. The house just makes it worse. Because without them, without his brother and sister, without _Bree_ and _Chase_ , their home is no longer a home, it's just… a house. It's just a box with furniture and empty rooms and stairs and technology occupying the spaces where they used to live, and it doesn't mean anything to him anymore.

So he can't stay. He never does.

It's not enough. Nothing is ever enough, so he always leaves in the end.

* * *

 **Yes, more sadness. I was going to write something happier, but then something happened—always does, it feels—and it kind of reminded me of something that I could definitely see Leo relating to, so I ended up writing this one instead.**

 **Thanks to ereader12 for the prompt! As always, reviews (and more prompts) are appreciated. I'll see you guys soon!**


	4. Who Are You?

"I'm your friend."

 **Hi, everyone! I'm back! (I mean, obviously… y'know, that whole "I'm back" was unnecessary. Obviously I'm back or I wouldn't be writing this. Anyway…) Thanks for being so understanding about my break. (Special shoutout to ereader12 for… well, being you. :) ) And thanks to everyone who submitted prompts, I'm still open for more! Like I said before, this story is pretty new, and I don't plan on ending it soon.**

 **This story is "Who are you?" "I'm your friend", the prompt submitted by Stardust16. This is very slightly an EF crossover, with mentions of the events that occurred in my other fic, _Lightning_. However, it can be read without those.**

 **Anyway, enjoy, everyone!**

* * *

"You should've stayed asleep!" Leo yelled as he dodged yet another blast of energy.

"They killed my father!" his opponent snarled, shifting between various non-corporeal forms. "I'm going to avenge him!"

"I mean, did he even remember your name?" Leo asked pragmatically. "You're one of thirteen, or so I've heard."

"Shut up!" the shapeshifter yelled, firing a blast of electricity from ghostly hands.

Leo dodged again. "You could at least show your face, fight me honorably!"

"What do I care about honor?" the voice replied, but solidified anyway. The cloud twisted into the shape of a teenage girl with dark hair and dark eyes, civilian clothes. Her shirt had an eye on it, a freaky detail that creeped Leo out. "Hey," she said, sticking out a hand. "Who are you?"

"I'm not your friend," Leo replied, gesturing for her to lower her hand. She did so.

"Fair enough," the girl smiled coldly. "I'm Reese."

"Oh, so you're _that_ one," he realized as they circled each other. Seeing her barely patient look of confusion, he elaborated, "You dated and then betrayed my brother?"

"You mean Chase?" she raised an eyebrow. When he nodded, she frowned. "I'm not sure I see the family resemblance, but…"

Leo frowned. "Okay, _that_ was rude." His right hand shot forward, electricity arcing from his fingertips. Reese raised her arms, but not nearly fast enough. The lightning hit her head on, sending her flying into the back wall of the alley. After that, she was still.

"Serves you right, that that would happen to you twice," he muttered. Leaning against the wall next to him, Leo tapped his earpiece. "Hey, I got the rogue shapeshifter. That's eight out of thirteen down so far. Could use a speedster." Picking up a limp Reese, he waited for a pickup.

* * *

"Who was the rogue you ran into? Did they say their name?" Bree asked as they walked into the penthouse.

Leo was fully aware that if he told her, then she would tell Chase. And, to be completely honest, he didn't want his brother to know anything else about Reese's actions and future. Reese didn't get to break him further like that. "No," he said. "Knocked him out in about a minute."

"Probably was one of the brothers we didn't have the pleasure of meeting," Bree nodded, lip curling as she led him through the empty frames that used to have giant windows—they'd shattered sometime during the final battle.

"You know, you really did a number on this city, Bree," Leo informed his sister as they stood on the edge of the charred balcony, staring out at the skyline.

"Yeah, I'm aware," she replied, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "But in my defense… it was mostly Skylar."

"Hey!" the other girl objected from somewhere inside.

Leo laughed slightly. "Well, Bree's not wrong," he called back. Surveying the blackened stone under his feet he dramatically widened his eyes at his sister. "I mean… she did do _this_. And the whole city looked slightly barbecued." He waved his hands. "I'm not even going to ask how."

"Probably for the best," Bree laughed as she led him back inside the penthouse. Skylar had vanished—probably gone down to mission command. "It's difficult to describe, and I was _watching_ it. But anyway, the boys should be back soon, they went to round up the shapeshifters. Thanks for bringing some help, by the way."

Leo waved it off. "No problem. You call saying you need help, of course I'll come." Pausing for a moment, he tapped the earpiece he was wearing and said, "Alright, I want everyone back in the tower in fifteen minutes, alright? There's only one last section of the city, I want speedsters only on that." After hearing a few affirmative responses, he tapped the earpiece again, turning it off and slipping it into his pocket. He plopped down on the couch—the inside of the tower was fortunately undamaged. "Adam and the others should be back soon."

Bree grinned at him, sitting next to him. "I missed having you around," she said, slightly abruptly. "It was weird going from all three of you to just Chase. And Kaz, Oliver, and Skylar, of course, but… it's not the same."

He raised his eyebrows slightly, but smiled back. "I get it. Adam's great, but he's not a very good conversationalist, if you know what I mean."

"No kidding," Bree chuckled. "But hey, it's only fair. I lived with him for fifteen years before you came along. It's your turn."

"I do hope you aren't planning on leaving for another fourteen years, then," Leo replied, half-joking and half-serious.

Her smile diminished slightly. "Never."

He gently knocked his shoulder into hers. "I'm only joking."

"I know," she said. "I just… don't want to think about it. After this, you're leaving, and Chase and I, we'll… stay here, I guess."

Leo frowned. "But I thought Kaz, Oliver, and Skylar were only here to find the guys who attacked their hospital."

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"They just found them," Leo pointed out. "They can go home."

"Oh," Bree blinked. "Oh!"

"What, you assumed they were going to stick around for another three years or something before heading home?" [1] Leo teased her.

Bree smiled, slightly sheepish. "Maybe." She shook her head. "I'm part of their world now, though. I mean, Skylar gave me something I can't just give back, and I…" She held out her hands, letting her proton rings hover around them. "I don't know what to do with them."

Leo stared at the rings in fascination. He'd already learned about Bree's superpowers, but he hadn't seen them in action yet except for the flashlight hands when they were searching for survivors earlier. "From what I've heard, you're… barely competent." He seesawed his hand, making an exaggeratedly doubtful face.

"Shut up!" she protested good-naturedly, pushing him slightly as he burst into laughter. Once he'd calmed down, she let a thoughtful silence sit between them for a moment before speaking again. "Seriously, though. I'm not sure what I can do now. Chase can go back with you, reintegrate into the Academy, start mentoring again. I can't."

"Wait, Big D didn't tell you yet?" Leo asked, surprised.

"What? No."

"He's splitting up the students," Leo explained. "Sending them to the bases he has all over the world. At least half are gone already, which is why the team I came here with is smaller than normal. There's no more mentoring, for the most part. And Big D won't say yet, but I hacked into his files and saw that he narrowed the list of locations for me, Adam, Logan, and Taylor to London, New York, Chicago, or Shanghai."

"Bigger cities, then," Bree noted.

Leo nodded. "Yeah. I think he's hoping we'll form some new super awesome team." He smiled at Bree. "We've always got room for more."

She shook her head at her brother in wonder. "Who are you, Leo Dooley?" It was a simple question that both knew meant so much more than that.

Leo considered the question for a moment before choosing an answer. "I'm your friend."

At that exact moment, a speedster streaked into the room, out of breath and wide-eyed. "Leo!"

Leo was on his feet in an instant. "What happened?"

The soldier started pacing, obviously distressed, running a hand through already messy hair. "We were finishing checking the city, like you said, and we didn't find anyone. But then, as we were coming back, just downstairs, actually, there was some sort of cave-in in the subway. And we checked, and mostly everyone's okay, but there's a kid down there! None of us there have super strength, so he's stuck!"

Bree was on her feet at this point, too. "Oh, no… with our luck, I know who it is." She grabbed her brother's arm and rushed them both downstairs. Skidding to a stop where a bunch of people were clustered around the edge of the massive sinkhole, she turned to Leo. "Adam's not back yet, can you get this? I'll speed you down, you dig him out, I'll get us out."

He nodded resolutely. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"I knew it," Bree hissed as they found the small alcove where the victim had been fortunate enough to fall in, protecting him from the brunt of the destruction. There was a slight gap between the rocks, leaving them with enough room to see the person trapped.

"What?"

"It's AJ," Bree replied. "He lives downstairs. He figured out our secret and in exchange for his silence, we had to let him on the team. Figures he gets himself into trouble specifically during the fight we try to steer him clear of."

"He wanted to fight the shapeshifters, then?" Leo asked sympathetically.

"'Course he did. But he's ten!"

"Oh. Ouch." Surveying the boy through the small crack, Leo couldn't help but wonder about what might have happened if he had met his siblings at AJ's age. He was crazy enough at age fourteen, forget ten. And there was no way his parents would have let him fight Krane that young. He probably would've been sent off to boarding school or something (no, not really, his mom was too nice. But that didn't mean he couldn't imagine it).

"Leo." Bree's voice brought him back to the present.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized quickly, trying to focus on the rocks again.

"It's fine, but AJ's unconscious in there and probably needs medical attention, so…"

"Yeah. Right. Sorry." Placing his left hand on the side of the largest uppermost stone, he found enough leverage with his right to heave it clean off. A few pebbles skidded into the alcove, but not enough to cause further injury to the kid. Chucking the stone off to the side, he managed to free the kid from the little hole he'd curled into.

Sliding his eyelids open and checking his pupils, he ran a quick diagnostic passed Bree ("Concussion, broken ankle, possibly a few ribs,") and stood up so she could speed them out. Before she could, though, AJ's eyes slid open of their own accord just slightly.

"Who are you?" he asked, eyes focused blearily on Leo.

Leo met Bree's eyes for a brief moment before looking down at AJ. "I'm your friend."

* * *

 **[1] Yeah, I went there. XD**

 **Leaving this one a little open ended. So, I fit in a fight with Reese (who I thought deserved to show a little more fighting stuff, considering she was cheated out of a proper character arc), my favorite sibling pairing (Breo, duh), and AJ and Leo meeting (not gonna lie, I've wondered what would happen if they** ** _did_** **meet for a while. They're really similar in circumstances but also pretty different in terms of relationships with others. So it was mostly just a thought)!**

 **Anyway, prompts are always welcome! Thanks to Stardust16 for this one. I'll try to be back soon enough.**


	5. Regrets

don't make this another one.

 **Hi, guys. I've been away for too long from this story, and I apologize. To make up for it, I have two chapters being posted tonight!**

 **So, I think I sent everyone replies. Who I could, anyway. The rest of you have replies below!**

 **Abcdeliteforce (guest): Thanks! And yes, I'll try to incorporate that into a future chapter.**

 **PurpleNicole531: I've very happy you liked it! Honestly, all the relationships are the best, I just kind of extra love Breo. I'm trying not to be biased, though. XD Anyway, yes, we're totally on the same page here! I wish… well, I wish a lot of things happened, but yeah, we've got to rely on!**

 **Caris (guest): Thanks for the suggestion! It's gone into the box.**

 **Alrighty, this prompt is actually from me: "Regrets—don't make this another one." I know it's not from my own mind, but I don't know where it originates from. (On that note, please tell me if you know!) It's set sometime in the future… twenty-fiveish years from the end of LR, if I did the math right.**

 **Anyway, enjoy, everyone!**

* * *

It's been years.

She keeps tabs on them, yes, she reads all the articles and watches the news. But she never talks to them.

She hasn't got a phone anymore—she broke the old one (half on purpose and half because she's useless with technology) around the time when they kept calling her and tried to track her using it. Never bothered replacing it.

She doesn't own any fancy technology at all, actually—she was never really any good with it, like she's always known. She sits in the public library a lot for that very reason: there are simple desktop computers there.

That's where she heads now, struggling up the steep and cracked steps of the old building. Pushing the door open, she breathes a sigh of relief when a blast of hot air from inside hits her. The teen sitting at the front desk looks up from a book and smiles when the visitor approaches.

"Hey, Mrs. D!" the teen chirps.

"Hi, Sam," she replies, smiling in return. "Got that promotion yet?"

"Not yet, unfortunately," Sam says. "But remember, hush, I'm not supposed to tell anyone that the offer's on the table at all!"

"Of course," she replies, laughing slightly.

Sam grins. "Well, what brings you here today? You don't have any books checked out, as far as I can remember…"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm just here to use your computers."

"Oh, of course," Sam nods. "Well, you know where to find them." As she walks away, Sam calls, "have a good day, Mrs. D!"

Already having opened the door to the computer room, she chooses only to smile over her shoulder before stepping inside.

A thought she's tried to quash rises again: _Sam reminds me of…_

No. She's not going to think about it.

Sitting down in front of one of the computers, she opens her email inbox. Yes, archaic at this point, but it's not like she has many other options.

She only has one message, this time labeled just 'N' instead of 'L&N'. (That would have been odd a few months ago, but not now.)

Opening it, she tries to read it as distantly and disconnected from it as she always does. She knows it won't work, but she'll try anything.

 _Mom,_ the message begins, and she braces herself.

 _In response to your last email: I know you're not coming home. I know. But I also know that I—well, and my brother—am the only one you've told._

 _Everyone else expects you to come back, Mom. Forget that it's been seven years since it happened, forget that it's been five since you left. Everyone thinks you're coming back, and they think you're coming back soon._

 _Mom, I know you blame yourself. But that_ doesn't make any sense _, Mom, don't you get that? It wasn't your fault that Dad died. And I know you blame us, too, in a little part of you that wishes you didn't. But we couldn't have done anything. We know it. He knew it. He told us that before he died. And it doesn't matter whose fault it was._

 _What does matter is what Dad wanted. And Mom, I know I'm going to sound harsh here, but I really don't_ care _about whatever is stopping you from seeing your own children. Do you remember what Dad said, the day before it happened? He said, "I want you to know that this doesn't mean that you have to fall apart. In fact, I want you to work together now, more than ever." (Chase has that conversation saved, so that's an exact quote.)_

 _Mom, I was eighteen when Dad died. I never got to tell him I got into Columbia. I never got to tell him that I wanted to be a writer. Guess what? I got to tell_ you _. And then, when I was twenty, coming back home to visit, what did I get? I got my family telling me that you were_ gone _. Mom, do you know how much you scared me? Until I found out I could contact you (as long as I didn't tell the others you weren't coming back), I thought I would never get to tell you anything ever again. (I thought it might be my fault, for not staying and helping you.)_

 _Mom, I didn't tell Leo I was going to write you this. He saw you go through that first marriage that didn't work out. And then we both saw what happened to the second. We're the only two who have seen what you've gone through during this time, after Dad died and home became a prison to you. He would try to dissuade me from sending you this, thinking it would drive you further away. But you know what? I don't think you can_ get _further away. Mom, I needed you in my life at the time you left. I could rely on my siblings, being so experienced, but I also needed my_ mother _. I_ still _need my mother._

 _My twenty-fifth birthday is tomorrow, Mom. Leo said he was planning something for me, and I appreciate that, really. I love everything he's done for me. But, Mom, he isn't you._

 _If there's one thing I can tell you, it's that in the future, you'll regret leaving us for so long. You haven't been home to see us in five years. We're your kids, Mom: me, Leo, Adam, Bree, Chase. Even Daniel thinks so. And yeah, we all miss Dad, Uncle Douglas included. Who_ wouldn't _miss Dad? But we have to move past it, if only for him._

 _You don't have to come home, okay? I know it hurts, and I would_ never _make you do that. But at least let us go to you. We owe it to Dad. You owe it to us. You owe it to yourself. Let us see you again._

 _So, Mom, since we're talking about regrets: don't make this another one._

 _Love from your daughter,_

 _Naomi_

 _P.S. We never hated you. Please come home._

In under ten seconds, a speed she didn't know she possessed until just now, Tasha has already composed and sent a reply:

 _Of course, Naomi. Of course._

 _Love,_

 _Mom_

* * *

 **Bleh, I'm sad now. Then again, I've been sad all day, but… it's a better kind of sad. :') (I'm sorry for killing Davenport again. Everyone loves doing that in these future fics, I don't know why [you can also interpret how he died however makes most sense to you]. And… honestly, leaving doesn't seem like something the Tasha of** ** _right now_** **would do, but… well, I think juggling six kids, five of whom are basically superheroes, and a husband dying would put a bit of a strain on a person's mind. And yeah, I know it was dramatic, so don't judge me.)**

 **I don't know where this idea came from. I was going to do something about Bree or Adam, but then I kept thinking about how weird it must be for Baby Davenport thanks to the other one-shot I posted about her—the sibling closest to her age is thirteen years older than her, and that's only if we count Daniel. In this story, she's twenty-five, while Leo is around forty-two/forty-threeish. That's gotta be isolating, even if it means she had a lot of mature people looking out for her.**

 **Yeah, I'm sad again.**

 **Anyway, I'm posting another chapter right after this, and it's gonna be a doozy. It's the day for sad short fics. See you in a minute!**


	6. We're All Trying To Forget

someone.

 **We're all trying to forget someone. Prompt from the amazing LovelyInspiration.**

* * *

He still wakes up in the middle of the night sometimes, covered in a cold sweat with a hand over his own mouth to stifle his screams.

It's a reflex to make sure no one hears him at this point.

His brother always makes sure to have the bedroom next to his, whether on the island or in Centium, and Douglas can't help but resent him. It just makes the night terrors that much harder to hide.

But when Donald is in Centium (and it becomes most of the time soon enough) and Douglas remains behind to help Leo and Adam (mostly Leo) run what remains of the Academy, the nightmares he represses come back in full force. Distractions help, though—they've been working on filling the bases all across the world with students, to spread out their resources so everyone receives help.

"So what location is up next?" he asks one day in the control room, about two months after the split of the team. "The algorithm picked a new base to fill?"

Leo, sitting quietly in a chair and staring at his sneakers, shakes his head. He doesn't say anything.

"Hey," Douglas prods, noticing the quiet boy. "Hey, Leo. Kid."

Leo bites his cheek but doesn't respond.

"Leo, you gotta talk at some point," Douglas sighs patiently. He knows how to handle this, but he _is_ a little surprised. This isn't the first time one of the kids has gone nonverbal. They've all been through a lot. But it normally doesn't happen to Leo, and he hasn't gone into the field in weeks anyway.

Leo opens his mouth and closes it, fingers clenching into a fist and uncurling over and over again on top of the console. He finally looks up, meeting Douglas' eyes, but still doesn't say anything.

"Look, kid, we don't have to talk if you don't want to. But I think you would feel better if you told me what was wrong." When there was no answer, he sighed again. "Leo, I'm trying to be a good uncle here, alright? Come on."

Leo nodded robotically, eyes darting up and then back down. Douglas is about to resign himself to not getting an answer when Leo speaks. "I have dreams sometimes. About… well. A lot of things. People."

"Okay…?"

Leo meets his gaze and holds it for a moment. "I know you do, too."

"I… what?"

Leo shrugs, looking back down. "I don't sleep much. I hear you yelling sometimes." He stops, takes a breath. "Giselle. Krane. Your father. Marcus." The last name sounds strained, like there's something weighing it down in Leo's mind. There probably is.

Douglas struggles to come up with words for a moment. "Leo, why haven't you been sleeping?"

"I just told you," the boy says dully. "I dream, I wake up. Then I hear you. Don't dodge the question. I can hear you. Are you okay?"

Douglas lets out a short, ironic laugh. "Am _I_ okay? Kid, you just told me you don't sleep. I think that's more of a cause for concern than a couple of nightmares."

"We're all trying to forget someone," Leo replies quietly. "I think I know better than anyone." He stands. "Sydney, Australia. You can pick the new team. Not Taylor, Logan, or any of the kids."

"I know the rules, Leo," Douglas responds, mouth corners tilting up slightly in amusement. Leo really is attached to his two best friends and all the kids. He would never send them off.

"You never answered my question, you know," Leo says, stopping in the door. "Are you okay?"

Douglas thinks about it. About Giselle, one of the few people he's ever loved as in _thought about a future_ with, who turned on him right when she thought she could make a profit. About Krane, whose "bond" with him, if it could be called that, had been formed through hate. About his father, who he loved in blood. About Marcus, who he loved like a son—like family—but distanced himself from because he thought it would make the inevitable expiration date hurt so much worse.

They haunt him. They hover in the edges of his peripheral vision, in every corner of every single one of the rooms he walks into. Every good memory he has is tainted by the words and actions of at least one of them.

"No," he tells his nephew. "But soon enough." Leo smiles—a ghost of one, but it's there. Douglas has to ask. "And you? Are you okay?"

"No," Leo replies. His smile grows once more. "But I will be. Hopefully. Someday."

"Someday," Douglas echoes. It sounds about right. _Someday._

* * *

 **I love Douglas and Leo. They're great and must be protected from their very-not-so-fun pasts. I think I'm going to write a story about Douglas and his father, because I can. Thoughts on whether I should or not? Suggestions?**

 **Alright, well, that's a wrap for today, folks! I hope you enjoyed the double update, because it's not likely to happen ever again. Like, ever. But I'm going to try to update _Simulation_ this weekend, and I might actually do _another_ chapter for this because I feel so bad for abandoning it for so long.**

 **Reviews are always welcome! Thanks for reading!**


	7. What Is The World

without hamburgers?

 **Hey, everyone! It was definitely time for some humor in this story collection. It's a little shorter than the others, but it's short and sweet. I have one reply first, and then we're going right on to the story!**

 **PurpleNicole531: Thank you so much for your awesome reviews! The feedback you gave was very helpful and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters. I might as well mention, the idea for the Douglas story I mentioned last chapter seems to, by popular consensus, be in demand, so I'll probably end up doing it sooner rather than later!**

 **This little chapter takes place before the Bionic Academy, but it's not really all that important. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **What is the world without hamburgers? Prompt from Asori.**

* * *

"Chase!"

It was a full-blown scream, and Chase jolted up from his chair as the elevator door slid open and his older brother tumbled out.

Adam tripped and sprawled across the floor, letting out an _oof_ and lying there for a moment before scrambling back to his feet. "Chase!" he yelled again, facing the wrong way.

"What!" Chase yelled back, molecularkinetically flicking Adam in the back of the head.

He looked confused for a moment and then turned around, face brightening when he saw Chase. "Hi, Chase! So I was talking to Jessica today at school, during lunch? They were serving some sort of mystery meat again I guess, and—"

"Adam," Chase interrupted as calmly as possible, annoyance bubbling under the surface as he realized that this isn't an emergency, "your point?"

Adam frowned. "I wasn't pointing." He held up a hand, palm forward and fingers flat. "My hand was like this the whole time."

Chase resisted the urge to facepalm. "No, Adam. I meant, what did you need me for?"

"I was getting there, but you interrupted!" Adam huffed. "Now I have to start over! Where was I?"

As he muttered to himself, Chase sighed hopelessly, sinking back into his chair. _I'm never getting out of this._

"Oh, right! So I was talking to Jessica today at school, during lunch? They were serving some sort of mystery meat again I guess, and then she asked me…"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Chase's elbow slipped off the desk and he started back to full consciousness.

"… and then we asked lunch lady Phyllis if…"

Adam was still talking, and Chase could only try to send out a silent signal to a merciful anyone to come save him.

"… but then lunch lady Gladys started butting in…"

The elevator doors slid open, and Leo walked in, frowning deeply at the scene. Chase would have jumped for joy, but he was still sitting.

Adam didn't notice. "And then Principal Perry posed the important question, so I had to ask you, Chase: 'What is the world without hamburgers?'"

Chase closed his eyes. "That was the question? The question you had to come down and interrupt my work to ask me?"

Adam made the _duh_ sound. "Of course, Chase. Keep up. What is the world without hamburgers?"

Chase opened his eyes, looking straight at Leo. "I'm going to punch something, and I'm going to punch something right now."

Leo stepped back into the elevator.

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this little rare bit of my attempts at humor! Again, thanks to Asori for the prompt, and for pushing me to write something out of my usual comfort zone.**

 **I'm going to update _Simulation_ very soon, and another chapter of this should be up in a few days, as well.**

 **Thank you all for reading! Reviews are, as always, welcome, as are more prompts.**


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